Hey everyone! I hope you guys don't mind that I've started a new thread. I've been talking to Terri from Dr. B's office, and she wants to email all of Dr. Bagnato's patients about this website and this support chat that all of us Bagnato Bandsters have going on. She was really impressed by how we've been supporting each other and wants all of Dr. B's patients to be able to come here and get support.

I wanted the title of the thread to be clear and make sure everyone who was banded by Dr. Bagnato knows that they are welcome here, even if they don't live in Albany.

For anyone who is interested, we have formed a support group and have decided to meet once a month.

Our first group meeting will be Feb. 7th at Ruby Tuesday in Tifton, Ga at 6:00 pm. This meeting is basically just a "get to know each other" meeting. I hope to see all of you there!

Hello Everyone:

I posted this on the wrong thread originally. Sorry.

I have an appointment on June 25th for my 3rd fill. There is a possibility that I may cancel that appointment.

No, it is not becasue I have lost a dramatic amount of weight. (A girl can dream though, right?) When I went to get my second fill (May 19th), they put in 2.0cc. Leslie and Elisabeth had me drink a glass of water. By the time I had made it from the little exam room to the front waiting room, i had this fantastic urge to puke. The ended up taking out 1.0 cc of the 2.0 cc they had jsut put in about 3 minutes prior.

I really don't think I will be ready for another fill. I am at the point that I can eat, but I have to eat extremely sloooowly. I also have to remeber to drink extremely slowly.

i am also realizing that my eyes were truly bigger than my stomach. I still fix myself my normal portion size of food and end up only eating a fraction of it. Everyone else constantly tells me, "You know that you are not gonna be able to eat all that." I argue til i am blue in the face that I will. Note: I am a black female. So can you imagine the extent to which I have to argue to figuratively turn blue in teh face.

Guess what? Everyone ends up right. It is still hard for me to grasp that I don't need to eat so much now. I fianlly gave in and bought some of those kiddie trays that are divieded into three sections. They are like $0.96 at walmart and are microwaveable and dishwasher safe (unlike the "designer" kiddie plates). When I fill those things up it looks like I have a TON of food. I made the mistake of transferring that same amount of food into a normal sizze plate and it looked like I was eating crumbs. I seriously thought that this "use a kiddie plate to eat from" was a big, whopping, load O' crap, but i am now realizing it is all true.

So seeing as how, (1) they had to take out fluid in my last fill and (2) i will PB in a heart eat if I don't listen to my band and i can't eat my "normal" quantities of food, I think that I may cancel that appointment. I really think that if they put any more in right now, that I would have discomfort and lots of PBing when I ate or drank.

I AM NOT 100% SURE ABOUT IT But it is looking like I might cancel.

I think i have like 5.0 cc in my 10.00 cc band. on my first apptment, Elisabeth was able to draw back 2.0 cc of fluid before she put another 2.0 cc in. then the next fill i got 1.0 more cc. So there ya go...5.0 ccs.

I will know closer to my fill date. I want to try to give them a week's notice. If anyone is interested in grabbing that appointment, let me know.

Doesn't look like I'll make it to Darton tomorrow. I'm running behind in getting my merchandise together for the Cherokee gourd show this coming week. I probably won't be able to walk again until a week from this Tuesday. Yall have fun.

Well, I am sorry I haven't been walking at Darton with you all. Are you still meeting at 5:15? How far do you walk? How long?

Sorry to hear about your ordeal Sabrina, that sounds terrible. What are you able to eat now?

I have 9 cc's in my 14 cc band and have some restriction, but have been at a stand still for a little over a month. My next appt. is tomorrow morning at 8:30am. I will probably see about getting 1cc in there and see how that goes. I want to maybe go on a high protein shake and soup diet for a while to kick start my loss again. I have maintained at this weight for months now and I want to get back to losing.

I also started back to working out today at Tony's. I had not worked out in a little over 2 months. It is terrible, I had been consistently working out for 3 months, missed a week or workouts and that derailed me for over 2 months! YIKES.

Does anyone else here work out at Tony's?

Can anyone post some of their daily food intake?

Post your exercise schedule? I would like to see what everyone is doing.

I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and upper body weight training today. Will do lower body weight training and another 30 min. tomorrow.

FOod is a struggle for me - So far today I have had a protein shake, SF pudding with whip cream on top, lean cuisine frozen meal and some popcorn. I have had 6 glasses of water too.

Hey Paragirl! We are still meeting at Darton - 5:15 M, T, R & F. I think Wednesday is going to be an off day for Jeannie and I. However, Bagweaver and Hollybelles may be able to go that day. We'll be there tomorrow if you want to walk.

I just joined at the Y - a family membership. I'm playing raquetball 2x a week with DH and walking 4x a week with the group (45 minutes - we figure it's about 2.5 miles). I'm going to start swimming and may start a class or two of aerobics. Trying to change things up a bit so I don't get bored. I love the walking group. It gives me "girl" time. I love DH and my DD's but it's nice to have some girl adult talk sometimes...lol

This morning I had a Yogurt and Banana for breakfast. I sometimes have cheese grits (made with 2% cheese). For lunch I had Hibachi Chicken (6 little grilled chicken nuggets with 1/2 cup rice). I didn't get hungry today around 3:30 (I normally do), but I have some high protein granola bars in my desk for my snack. I keep some cheese in the fridge at work also for a snack. At night I usually have what I cook for the family (just smaller portions - depending on what we have). I stick to 5 small meals rather than the 3. That may change when I get my fill - we'll see. I log my meals on thedailyplate.com. I drink a lot of water, 1% milk and have crystal light on hand at all times. I've got to have some flavor.

Brina, I hate that you are having a tough time and PBing. If you are still doing it, maybe you are too tight still? Or maybe you are taking too big of a bite or not chewing well? Those are my problems although I have never PBed. I'll get that golf ball feeling in my chest, but it is usually because I am eating too fast or not chewing well or taking too big of a bite. The foods that do that to me are usually meats like beef and chicken. It doesn't happen often though.

I'm also interested in seeing everyone's menus. I definitely eat less than I did before the surgery, but I always wonder if I am doing something wrong since everyone seems to loose faster than me. I know you shouldn't compare, but I do. I do notice I'm loosing inches though, so that is something. I wore capris last week I haven't worn in 3 years. Here is my normal menu:

Breakfast: yogurt and a Kashi bar. I don't eat them at the same time...usually one at 8 am and the other maybe at 10 or 11.

Lunch: Depends...lately it is one of those South Beach prepackaged salad things like the chicken/cranberry/walnut salad with pita chips. Love those things. I'll eat this or a lean cuisine or sometimes a salad or something if I am meeting someone for lunch.

Dinner: I usually eat with the family, just a smaller portion. Last night it was about 1/4 of a large chicken breast with some mushrooms and a very small portion of pasta.

I've done the low carb thing in the past and I'm not giving up certain foods ever again. That sets me up for failure because I can't do it long term. So I don't want any food to be off limits, although some I do definitely eat in moderation - a concept I never truly got until now. It is funny....since I'm not saying carbs are all bad, I definitely find myself eating less of them anyway. Weird!

Paragirl . . . My first fill appointment was at 9:00 this morning. I think I saw you at the center. Come walk with us. I won't be there until probably Tuesday of next week, but surely someone else will be walking. Good luck!

Leslie . . . Let me know how the Y goes. I may join that. I'd been thinking about joining a gym, but this may be a better option.

I like the Y a lot. Raquetball kicked my bootay yesterday - but I kicked DH's so all turned out well! :-)

I didn't get a chance to swim - after Raquetball and walking I was too tired. I've had something come up today and won't be able to walk, but will be there tomorrow if anyone wants to meet me. I know Jeannie can't tomorrow - so ya'll let me know, I won't go by myself (Red Riding Hood Syndrome).

Hello everyone:

Please take a moment to go to this site. It is not spam. It won't sign you up for anything or ask you for a retinal scan, your first born child, or a DNA sample.

**I just think that each of the Bagnato Bandits needs to hear/read this.**

Automatic Flatterer <--go to this site and put in your name where it asks you to do so.

Trust me, I'm a veterinarian. (I have always wanted to say that.)

We all deserve to hear such things from time to time.

--Love,

Brina brina fo feena banana fanna mo meena. Fi fi fo feeena. Brina BRINA.

PS. feel free to pass this sight along. Who does not need to hear such things?

Brina - Why yes I am...what a smart and intuative site! :-)

I will meet tomorrow (Wed.) to walk. I have never been on the Darton campus before, so please tell me where the track is.

P.S. I got another cc put in today, this takes me to 10 cc!

Hey Bagweaver, were you in the Honda? You came bee-boppin up with your music on? Yep, that would have been me you saw this morning - I always wonder when I go in if anyone in there is someone I have seen on this site! How cool.

We meet behind the obstical course (climbing wall - far parking lot near the woods) It is right next to the maintenance area. I'm planning on going tomorrow. I drive a beat up silver kia (DH hit a deer and we never fixed the hood).

Well, my port revision has been delayed a week. Now scheduled for 6/13/08. My insurance carrier (BCBS FEP) still hasn't approved it. It sucks, but I have to make the best and not get mad (oh, how hard it is not to!). I am not a patient person, but Terri tells me they can't move forward until BCBS makes a decision.

Leslie,

Sorry your revision surgery got delayed. I hope they approve it soon! You are a real trooper though. Keep us posted on it!

It didn't take them this long to approve my surgery. I'm still losing though and haven't gained anything - so I'm not too upset. The people I work with are more upset than me. They don't know why Dr. B. won't go ahead and just do the surgery since it is a complication and nothing I've done. They think he should work out the payment/insurance later and get me fixed...It'll work out good though with my folks coming. DH's mom is going to the beach the week after the 13th and she usually keeps the kids for us in the summer...so I'd need a babysitter that week. Now my mom and dad can just take the kids back with them to Florida after my surgery...it will all work out.

Last night it the first time food got stuck on me. I was eating a baked chicken patty (one of those by Tyson's/breaded). I normally dip it in dressing or something - I ate it dry and didn't chew, chew, chew and Whoa Momma! I grabbed DH's sweet tea and drank it (I HATE SWEET TEA!)...I was desparate!!! Only gotta learn that one once. Up until now it wasn't like I had a band, it was like it had to pop up and wave hello to remind me it is there. I didn't PB or throw up thank goodness, but I began to wonder...